"At 22-23, if I had got 2 or 3 crores, I would have probably burnt it all" - Harshal Patel ahead of IPL 2022 Auction
Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) all-rounder Harshal Patel has talked about money management issues with young cricketers who earn a lot overnight at the IPL auctions. Patel remarked that had he got ₹2-3 crore in his early 20s via the auction, he would have "probably burnt it all" with his bad choices.
The Gujarat-born was speaking on the "RCB Podcast", a trailer of which was released on Wednesday. Harshal Patel came to the IPL in 2010 as a draft pick by the Mumbai Indians for ₹8 lakh. He was then picked up by the RCB outside the auction in 2012. After six years with the franchise, he was signed by Delhi Capitals at the 2018 auction for ₹20 lakh before being traded back to RCB in 2021.
On the podcast, he said:
"At 22-23, if I had got 2 crore or 3 crore, I would have probably burnt it all. Obviously, I am a Gujarati so my family wouldn't have let me do that (smiles) but as an individual, I would have made bad choices with that amount of money. Hopefully, next year that changes and I'll be paid well and when I'll have that money, I'll know what to do with it and I won't light it on fire."
He's likely to be paid well in this year's auction, perhaps much more than ₹2-3 crore, after a stellar outing last season.
The bowling all-rounder picked up a record-equalling 32 wickets from 15 matches at a brilliant average of 14.34 in IPL 2021. His death bowling specialization and handy batting prowess are likely to make him a hot property at the upcoming mega auction.
Harshal Patel in India's T20 squad for the West Indies series
T20I squad: Rohit Sharma(Capt),KL Rahul (vc),Ishan Kishan,Virat Kohli,Shreyas Iyer,Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk),Venkatesh Iyer,Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi,Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel
Following the auction on February 12-13, India will play West Indies in a T20I series at home, which will commence on February 16. Harshal Patel is part of the 19-man squad and is likely to get his chances in the series.
So far he's played two T20Is for India and this series could be the perfect chance for him to put his hand up for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.